In exchange for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assisting the City of Santa Rosa and County of Sonoma (County) with debris removal following the October 2017 wildfires through the Government-Sponsored Debris Removal Program, the County is responsible for collecting information from participating property owners to determine whether any insurance proceeds designated for debris removal … Continued
Duplication of benefits refers to assistance from more than one source that is used for the same activity. In this instance, a duplication of benefits would occur if a property is cleared by FEMA and the property owner was paid by their insurance company for the removal of that debris (the same activity). A duplication … Continued
You should work with your insurance company to determine the available insurance funds that are designated for debris removal coverage in your policy. These funds are referred to as “debris removal designated insurance.” If you need additional assistance, you can contact the California Department of Insurance (800-927-4357; http://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/101-help/index.cfm), United Policyholders (415-393-9990; http://uphelp.org) or Sonoma County … Continued
It depends how funds designated for debris removal are handled in your policy. You should consult with your insurance carrier to determine these amounts and how and when they are paid (see question #3). Generally, homeowner policies provide debris removal coverage in one of two ways: Specified or Separate Amount: Some policies include debris removal … Continued
No. The only money the County will collect on behalf of the State and Federal government is insurance proceeds designated for debris removal, less any offsetting expenses (see question #6).
You may use your insurance proceeds to cover expenses for work related to additional debris removal, or for repairs required on your property resulting from the debris removal process (offsetting expenses). You should submit documentation supporting your additional expenses (see Instructions at https://www.sonomacountyrecovers.org/debris-removal/). If there are any designated debris removal insurance funds remaining after you … Continued
The County has received a cost report from CalOES/FEMA that is a breakdown of charges for debris removal per parcel. Based on the information in the cost report, the County has prepared a per-parcel invoice to submit to every insurance company and copied to every property owner. The information in the cost notice is identical … Continued
The County is invoicing all insurance companies based on cost reports received from CalOES/FEMA for each individual property, and all property owners will get a copy. In addition, the County is requesting insurance companies provide the following information for each policy that insured a property that participated in the Government-Sponsored Debris Removal Program: A copy … Continued
The County is requesting that one of three forms be submitted by every property owner. The following information should assist you in determining which form is appropriate for your circumstance. Reimbursement Form. This form is to be completed and submitted by property owners requesting reimbursement for all or a portion of the debris related insurance … Continued
If your insurance policy has a specified amount for debris removal designated insurance funds, you do not owe anything until you have completed your property’s debris removal (including trees) and/or completed any repairs to your property caused by the Government-Sponsored Debris Removal Program. If your insurance company does not have a specified amount for debris … Continued
